Google scholar

This week, I have used the “Google Scholar”. It is where you can look for your favorite article through a lot of research papers. They are in the PDF format, and some of them are released free. You can easily access to them.

I was looking for an article about satellites and found it. The title is “Robotics for Space Exploration”, written by Kazuya Yoshida, Dept. of Aeronautics and Space Engineering, Tohoku University.

Summary Below:

              NASA is now going on the plan “The New Millennium Project”. The project’s aim is to make probes and rovers more intelligent, develop new technologies and shorten the development period. The core of this project is 6 points; “Autonomy”, “Telecommunication”, “Microelectronics”, “In Suit Instruments and Micro electromechanical Systems”, “Instrument Technologies & Architectures”, and “Modular and Multifunctional Systems”. The first point: “Autonomy” is a solution for two problems. The first problem is the time difference during the long-distance uplink and downlink. The second problem is the cost for employment who is related works on the project. Automated systems can overcome the time gap caused in telecommunication and needs less human resources.

              In order to explore the Moon and Planets, we have to make consideration to make various forms of planetary probers and rovers. The way of moving has some types; Rovers with Rocker-bogies (6wheels) or 5 wheels, hopping on planetary object’s surface, like NASA’s old Mars rovers, sojourner and her families.

Research under the ground also has some forms; using drills or augers to make a short holes or using boring of core sampling to dig deeper holes, to use penetrators to dig with the kinetic energy.

Getting samples from planetary objects are also the big points. Robot arms are already used by NASA’s Mars rovers, Aerogels are used by probes to the target comet and projectiles is use.The former is NASA’s STARDUST and the ratter is Japanese MUSES-C.

Reference: http://www.astro.mech.tohoku.ac.jp/~yoshida/paperlist/Robotic-Probes.pdf